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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

This Date In Music History-December 8

Birthdays:

Jerry Butler - Impressions (1939)

Robert Elliott - Hollies (1942)

Mike Botts - Bread (1944)

Gregg Allman - Allman Brothers Band (1947)

Geoff Daking - Blue Magoos (1947)

Ray Shulman - Gentle Giant (1949)

Phil Collen - Def Leppard (1957)

Warren Cuccurullo - Duran Duran (1957)

Paul Rutherford - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1959)

Marty Friedman - Megadeth (1962)

Sinead O'Connor (1966)

Ryan Newell - Sister Hazel (1972)

Nick Zinner - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (1974)

Chrisette Michele (1982)

They Are Missed:

One of the most legendary and influential figures in rock & roll history, Jim Morrison, singer for the Doors, was born in Melbourne, FL. in 1943. Morrison died of heart failure in a bathtub in a Paris hotel room on July 3, 1971.

Gary Thain bass player with Uriah Heep died of a drug overdose in 1975 (age 28).

The dream is over. John Lennon was fatally shot in New York in 1980. The world is in shock. John Lennon was assassinated by Mark David Chapman. Lennon was returning to his apartment building with Yoko Ono from a recording session. Lennon was shot in his chest, back and left arm and was pronounced dead thirty minutes later. Earlier in the day, Lennon had autographed an album for Chapman.

Country singer, songwriter Marty Robbins died in 1982 (age 57) of complications following cardiac surgery. Famous for his #1 hit of the 60's, "El Paso" (winning him a Grammy Award). Robbins later portrayed a musician in the 1982 Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man.

Drummer Nicholas Dingley of Hanoi Rocks was killed in a head-on collision in 1984. He was 24. Dingley was a passenger in a car driven by Motley Crue's Vince Neil. Neil was jailed for 20 days and paid $2.6 million in compensation.

Recognized throughout much of his career as "the world's greatest living entertainer," Sammy Davis Jr. was born in New York, NY in 1925. Davis died of throat cancer on 16th May 1990.

In 2004, former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was one of five people killed after a man stormed the stage during a Damageplan show at the Alrosa Villa Club in Columbus. Nathan Gale, aged 25, began firing at the band and crowd, was then shot and killed by a police officer who arrived shortly after the first shots were fired.

History:

Billboard reported in 1956 that Elvis Presley was setting new sales records in Canada. Usually a hit record makes 100,000 sales, however "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel" have sold over 225,000 copies with "Love Me Tender" selling 135,000 in sixteen weeks.

"Surfin'," the Beach Boys first recording, was released by Candis Records, a small LA based company in 1961. The song was written by Brian Wilson and his cousin Mike Love and recorded with Brian's brothers, Carl and Dennis and their friend Alan Jardine — Carl playing acoustic guitar, Al on double bass and Brian keeping time on a garbage can.

Alan Freed leaves Miami's WQAM to appear at his payola trial in New York in 1962. He testified to receiving $2,000 in 1958 from Cognat Distributors for a promise to play their records on his New York radio show. He also worked a similar deal with Superior Records for $700. He pled guilty to payola and was fined $300 and given six months probation.

In 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr was kidnapped at gunpoint from a hotel in Lake Tahoe. He was released two days later after his father paid out the $240,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers, who were later captured, and sentenced to long prison terms. In order to communicate with the kidnappers via a payphone the senior Sinatra carried a roll of dimes with him throughout this ordeal, which became a lifetime habit, he is said to have been buried with a roll of dimes.

Traffic's Mr. Fantasty LP was released in 1967.

Singer and guitarist Graham Nash left The Hollies in 1968 and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills who went on to form Crosby Stills and Nash.

The hour-long special Elvis, sponsored by Singer Sewing Machines, aired on NBC-TV in 1968. Clad in black leather, Elvis successfully pulls off the greatest comeback in rock and roll history. After his decade-long stint as a movie star, he re-established himself as a musical performer and cultural totem on this electrifying, widely viewed special.

Testifying at his trial for possesion of hashish and heroin in the Toronto Supreme Court in 1969, Jimi Hendrix claimed that he has smoked pot four times and hashish five times, taken LSD five times and sniffed cocaine twice and that he had now "outgrown" drugs. After eight hours of deliberation, the jury finds him not guilty. Eight hours of deliberation, what, didn't they believe him?

Jim Morrison recorded a collection of original poetry on his 27th and last birthday in 1970. The tapes are later set to music by the surviving Doors as "An American Prayer."

Elton John hits #2 in 1973 with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," the title track from a double album that would itself reach #1 and remain on the album charts for two years.

"A Night of the Hurricane" benefit show at Madison Square Garden brings the Rolling Thunder Revue to a climax in 1975. In addition to Bob Dylan and company, Muhammad Ali, Roberta Flack and others show-up. The highlight was when a phone call from "Hurricane" Carter reaches the Garden stage. The show raises $100,000 for legal fees for Carter and alleged accomplice John Artis.

The Eagles released their classic, “Hotel California” in 1976.

Styx went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1979 with "Babe," the group's only US #1. Yes, even bigger than "Mr. Roboto."

A letter carrying this post date was printed on the last page of Rolling Stone's January 21, 1982 issue. The date was, of course, the first anniversary of the murder of John Lennon. The letter begins: "I think of John's death as a war casualty — it is the war between the sane and the insane." It's signed "Love, Yoko."

In 1984, one-time Coasters manager Patrick Cavanaugh was convicted in the murder of group member Buster Wilson, whose dismembered body was found near Modesto, CA.

Hall and Oates started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with "Out Of Touch," the duo's 6th US #1.

In 1995, Courtney Love appeared on the ABC TV show '10 Most Fascinating People', telling the presenter that she wished she had done 'eight thousand million things differently' to have prevented the death of her husband Kurt Cobain.

The FBI opened its files on Frank Sinatra to the public in 1998. The file contained over 1,300 pages.

In 1998, it was announced that Bruce Springsteen would tour again with the E Street Band for the first time in nearly a decade.

In 1999, Carlos Santana tells a press conference in Mexico City that while he was praying in church, the Virgin of Guadalupe spoke to him. He adds, "Marijuana is not a drug and if factories are set up here to make clothes, tofu cheese, medicine and paper from marijuana, we won't have to chop down so many trees." Just marijuana plants....

On his Web site in 2000, Julian Lennon does his best to remember the father who was never there for him on the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's murder. "I had a great deal of anger towards Dad because of his negligence and his attitude to peace and love," he posts. "That peace and love never came home to me." In Cuba, Fidel Castro unveiled a statue in honor of Lennon at Havana's El Vedado Park.

In 2003, BPI figures showed that the UK sales of seven-inch singles had increased by 84% on the previous year. The report claimed that bands such as The Darkness, The Strokes and The White Stripes had boosted sales by releasing special limited edition seven-inch records.

Also in 2003, The U.S. Supreme Court supports a ruling saying that activist Rosa Parks can sue OutKast for using her name as the title of a song. Parks alleges the use of her name constituted false advertising and infringed on her right to publicity.

Usher wins 11 awards at the Billboard Awards in Las Vegas in 2004, including Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Single of the Year for "Yeah!" His "My Boo" singing partner Alicia Keys wins seven. Stevie Wonder was given the Century Award.

Green Day, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Rancid and U2 are on "CBGB Forever," a compilation available exclusively at Best Buy. This was the first album released by Little Steven Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records in 2006.

In 2008, L.A. eatery Barney's Beanery unveiled a plaque honoring The Doors' Jim Morrison on what would have been the late singer's 65th birthday. The marker commemorates the spot where Morrison infamously urinated on the bar. How sweet. Fellow Doors, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, attended.